1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an RFID tag information communicating apparatus configured to transmit/receive information via wireless communication to/from an RFID circuit element comprising an IC circuit part configured to store information and a tag antenna configured to transmit/receive information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems that perform reading/writing between a small-sized RFID tag having an RFID circuit element comprising an IC circuit part configured to store predetermined RFID tag information and a tag antenna that is connected to the IC circuit part so as to transmit/receive information, and a reader/writer (reading/writing apparatus) in a non-contact manner have been proposed and continually put to practical use in various fields.
One such RFID tag information communicating apparatus of prior art that performs information transmission/reception via wireless communication with the RFID circuit element is the apparatus described in JP, A, 2007-108893 (FIG. 11), for example. With this RFID tag information communicating apparatus (tag label producing apparatus) of prior art, a command signal (“Program” signal) for writing information to the RFID circuit element is transmitted to the RFID circuit element via an apparatus antenna device (an antenna) so as to write RFID tag information. Then, a command signal (“Verify” signal) for verifying whether or not writing was normally performed is transmitted to the RFID circuit element, and the corresponding decision is made based on a reply signal received from the RFID circuit element in response thereto. When writing has not been normally performed, the command signal is repeatedly transmitted a plurality of times until information writing succeeds.
Although not described in the above-described patent JP, A, 2007-108893, when information is to be written to the RFID circuit element, first, specifically, a command signal for information reading is transmitted to the RFID circuit element and, based on a reply signal received from the RFID element in response thereto, the identification information (tag ID) of the RFID circuit element is acquired. When information acquisition succeeds, a command signal for writing information using the acquired identification information is transmitted to the corresponding RFID circuit element. As a result, a command signal for information reading is repeatedly transmitted a plurality of times until identification information acquisition succeeds.
Here, within the RFID tag information communicating apparatus of the above prior art, static electricity may be produced for some reasons or other, such as the equipment material or member wear and tear, electrically charging the RFID circuit element during communication. In such a case, due the fluctuation in potential that arises within the RFID circuit element, the possibility exists that the RFID circuit element that received the command signal may not be able to transmit a reply signal normally. As a result, information reading from the RFID circuit element may fail even if the command signal is repeatedly transmitted a plurality of times.
Further, while the charge is gradually discharged when the cause of the electrical charging disappears and communication begins, the above-described fluctuation in potential within the RFID circuit element arises before the charge is sufficiently discharged. For this reason, as described above, the RFID circuit element that received the command signal may not be able to transmit a reply signal normally. That is, before the charge is sufficiently discharged, information reading from the RFID circuit element may fail even if the command signal is repeatedly transmitted a plurality of times. Furthermore, when information acquisition fails before the charge is sufficiently discharged in this way, perhaps due to RFID circuit element damage or failure, or perhaps due to the electrostatic charging, the soundness of the RFID circuit element cannot be determined.